As this email is entitled "blessing in different forms" that's what I have experienced this week. This whole mission is full of blessing but I've noticed a couple specific ones this week.
I had the opportunity yesterday of being asked to translate for a brother from Sweden. He isn't a member of the church and he came to an LDS church for the first time yesterday. He has been talking with a sister in the ward for the past 6 months and decided it was time to come out here and meet her. I didn't realize how much I had lost my English until I started to talk to him and realized everything I was saying was in Tagalog, it was just subconscious. I looked pretty dumb because I had to think for a little bit to come up with the English translations for what I wanted to say. Tagalog to English doesn't match up. I realized too that I was still using some Tagalog for other words I didn't know. I had to pay a lot more attention to what was being said so that I could help this brother to understand what was being taught. I walked in to the Gospel Principles and they asked if I could teach so he could understand. It just helps me know and have a stronger testimony of the gift of tongues. I sat with this brother and answered questions he had not only about the language but about the way and the things we do in the church. He said that this church had a different feel than the other churches hes attended and he like the way it made him feel. He'll be staying here for three weeks so we'll teach him until then and then refer him to the Elders in Sweden after that. I gained a stronger confidence in myself about the language. As long as I put my trust in the Lord and rely on him, I can accomplish anything that needs to be done. I can still speak English as my emails show. I just have to take a little more time to make sure they make sense.
So the time has come that everyone has been asking about. I just ate dog today for lunch at a members house. I started to eat and put it in my mouth. I chewed it and knew that it wasn't pig or chicken or beef so I did as most have advised and didn't ask until I was done eating. I finished and then asked what it was. They said it was dog. I cant say it was horrible but I wouldn't eat it again knowing before hand it was dog.
Thank you again for all your love and support and prayers. I love you all.
Elder O'Neil
